Clasp.



E. F. HERSCHEDE.

CLASP.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 22,19l6.

1,225,? l Patented May 8, 1917.

UNTT

EDWARD F. HEBSCHEDE, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO.

CLASP.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 8, 1%1'2'.

Application filed May 22, 1916. Serial No. 99,008.

To all whom it may concern: v

Be it known that I, EDWARD F. HER- soiinnn, a citizen of the United States of America, and resident of Cincinnati, in the c mnty of Hamilton and State of Ohio, have invented a new and useful improvement in Clasps, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an improved clasp and particularly to a clasp for bracelets, necklaces and other articles of jewelry, as well as for belts and the like.

An object of my invention is to produce a clasp adapted to render adjustable as to size, the article attached thereto, in addition to performing the function of detachably uniting the extremities of an article or of uniting two or more articles in the placing of the article or articles in condition for use.

A further object is'to produce an improved clasp in which the attaching of one member of the clasp to the cooperating member of the clasp is attained by locking means adapted to prevent inadvertent detachment of one member from the other member.

A further object is to produce an adjustable clasp which may be secured in any adjusted position on a mounting strap, strip, ribbon, tape, or braid without injuring the material thereof.

These and other objects are attained in the clasp described in the following specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which;

Figure 1 is an enlarged plan view of a clasp embodying my invention, the members thereof being secured together.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the clasp shown in Fig. 1, showing the members in the first position to which they are brought in fastening them together, or the last position to which they are brought in separating them.

Fig. 3 is an inverted plan or under side view of the clasp, showing the adjustable member thereof locked in position on its mounting strap.

Fig. 4: is a side elevation of the clasp shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken on the line 55 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken on the line 66 of Fig. 4, showing an end elevation of the clasp in position on its mounting strap.

The clasp embodying my invention is preferably made of metal and consists of a body portion 7 constructed in the form of a sleeve adapted to embrace one end of the mounting strap 8 to which it is to be secured. The opening of this sleeve is suliicient to re ceive the strap 8 and the wedge 9 between the under surface of the strap and the bottom 10 of the sleeve. The wedge is provided with pins 11 which engage slots 12 formed in the bottom of the sleeve. These slots cooperate with the pins in limiting the motion of the wedge with relation to the sleeve and in preventing displacement and loss of the wedge from the sleeve when it is moved to its loosened position. By means of this construction the wedge may be moved from its locking position as disclosed in Figs. 3 to 5 inclusive, until the pins engage the opposite ends of the slots and permit of reciprocation of the sleeve on its mounting end of the strap.

The top 13 of the sleeve is provided with pins 14:, the pins having heads 15 formed thereon. These pins cooperate with slots 16 formed in a plate 17 forming the coiperating member of the clasp and secured to the opposite end of the strap mounting the adjustable sleeve 7. The slots are shaped substantially like key holes, enlargements 18 being provided at one end for passage of the heads 15 of the pins 1 1 therethrough, the narrow portions 19 of the slots being provided for the passage of the shanks 20 of the pins therethrough. I prefer making the enlargements 1S somewhat smaller than the heads 15 by means of spring fingers 21 formed integrally with the plate, so that when the pins are passed through the enlargements 18 of the plate, the fingers .21 will yield as shown in Fig. 2, the fingers returning to their normal positions as shown in Fig. 1, immediately after passage of the heads 15 through the enlargements. After the heads have passed through the enlargements the shanks 20 may be passed through the elongated portions 19. of the slots to the opposite ends thereof in order to bring the plate 17 to its locked position with. relation to the sleeve 7. Removal of the plate from its locked position with relation to the sleeve is had by reversing the operation just described, the enlargements 18 of the slots being brought to register with the heads 15 of the pins and then the plate lifted to cause the fingers 21 to yield and permit the passage of the pins through the enlargements. 'i'he mounting strap to which the members of the clasp are secured, may be of metal,

justed and secured to one end of the strap and the plate comprising the cooperating member of the clasp and which is permanently secured in any suitable manner to the opposite end of the strap, is brought into locking engagement with the pins of the sleeve as above described. If it is found that the bracelet is too tight or too loose the parts of the clasp may be disengaged and the sleeve may be adjusted along its mounting end of the strap to the position in which the length thereof is rendered correct. The wedge is then moved to its sleeve-locking position and the bracelet is then ready for use. In the use of my improved clasp as afastening means for the ends of belts, the

material of the strap would probably be" of leather, for which use the clasp would be designed along much larger and heavier lines of construction, similar to the con struction shown in the drawings. lowever, when the clasp is to be employed for necklaces in which the strap of material upon which it is mounted, is of extremely narrow width and of rather delicate COnStI'LlCblOD," the clasp may very well consist of but one pin mounted on a sleeve of correspondingly minute construction, with the plate suitably designed' for coeperation therewith and. having but one slot for engaging the pin. 7

Although I have shown but one design for my improved clasp the novel principles of construction need not be changed to embody therewith designs possessing varying ornamental characteristics, such as would i be demanded for ewelry. Furthermore, the

7' or in a thin strip, the plate may be soldered manner of permanently securing the plate to theopposite end of the strap, may be varied 7' according to the material of which the strap is composed. If the strap isof fabric it may be readily sewed to the plate, I having shown a bar 22 about which the end of the strap may be looped for such a purpose; If the strap is of other fibrous material such as leather, it may be similarly secured, and if the strap is of metal, whetherlit'be woven (topics of this patent'may be obtained. for

.largements, the

thereto, gold, silver, or other soldering corresponding to the metal of the strap, being employed for this purpose. 7 In addition to this, the construction may be further modified by eliminating the spring-like fingers 21, the enlargements 18 in such a modification being of the same size as the heads 15 ofthe pins in order to permit of their passage through the enplate 17 having merely a slot or series of slots shaped like a key hole. It will be' seen that in my improved construction I have provided a clasp which will not injure the material of the strap to which it is secured no matter how often and how tightly the wedge be moved to lock the sleeve in its adjusted positions on the end of the stran. This is a marked advanta e over constructions heretofore employed, such as buckles and the like which have members adapted to enter perforations in the strap or which are provided with teeth whic embed themselves into the material'of'the strap and thereby eventually injure it.

Having thus described my invention,

what I claim is: I 1. In a clasp, the combination of a sle ve,

2. In a clasp, the combination of asleeve,

a cooperating member, and a wedgefor frictionally securing the sleeve upon strap end, the sleeve being adapted to receive the strap end, and the coiiperating member be ing adapted to'be, located at anotherzstrap end. 7

3. In clasp, the combination of a sleeve adapted to receive a strap end, a pin secured to the strap end, and a plate having an aperture to receive the pin and being adapted to be secured to another strap end.

t. In a clasp, the combinationof a sleeve adapted to receive a strap end,vmeans for frictionally securing the 'sleeveupon the strap end, a pin secured to the sleeve a plate having a. slot therein and having.

spring fingers projecting into the slot and adapted to yield to pass the head of the. pm.

In testimony whereof, I'have hereunto subscribed EDWARD F. HERSOI-IEDE. Witnesses? WALTER F. MURRAY, j

W. TrioRNToNBoenRr.

five cents each, byaddres sing the Commissioner oflaten ts, Washington, D. G. I r

my name this 19th day of May, 

